Meet 2025 Distinguished Instructor Dr. Sam Salem
His Teaching Lights a Fire in Engineering Students
Watching a structure you've designed suddenly burst into flames isn't a typical university experience.
But if you're a student in a course taught by Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Sam Salem, that's exactly how a class might unfold.
Dr. Salem managed Lakehead's Master of Civil Engineering program and led the development of its PhD in Civil Engineering program. He's also supervised over 150 undergraduate students' degree design projects and mentored over 40 personnel. Above, Dr. Salem (centre) with some of his doctoral students.
"Teaching with purpose—inspiring minds and shaping futures—is my foundational principle," says Dr. Salem, who runs Lakehead's Structural Fire Testing & Research Laboratory (LUFTRL).
His intensive and accessible approach to learning sets him apart as an educator.
It has also earned him the 2025 Distinguished Instructor Award—Lakehead University's most prestigious teaching honour—and the appreciation of countless students.
He develops courses that bridge the gap between theoretical engineering concepts and practical industry experience, turning students into successful professional engineers.
"I'm also a learner as well as a teacher—I learn from my students' questions and comments," Dr. Salem says. Above, he receives his Distinguished Instructor Award from Lakehead Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Gillian Balfour.
A Natural Teacher
Dr. Salem is an internationally recognized expert in structural fire engineering—an area he chose to specialize in because fire represents the gravest safety threat to any building and its occupants.
His love of teaching, however, was sparked as an undergraduate student at Egypt's Zagazig University, where he was a top-ranked scholar.
"Many of my classmates and friends would come to me for help with assignments and tricky problems."
It was there that he began to learn how to simplify complex concepts into easily understood information, which would become the bedrock of his teaching practice.
"Students get bored if everything is numbers and textbooks," he explains.
"In my classes, I like to include photos, drawings, and examples of engineering structures that failed. I make connections between what happens on paper and what happens in real life."
This strategy breaks the rigidity of the lecture format and encourages everyone, even those who may feel intimidated, to participate.
Dr. Salem adjusts the time spent on particular topics based on his students' needs. "Sometimes students learn quickly, other times they have more questions and need additional clarifications." Above, two members of his research team set up a mass-timber building assembly for fire testing.
Fostering student engagement is central to Dr. Salem's teaching.
"I always tell my students to raise their hands whenever they have a question, even if it seems simple. It helps other students, and it also improves my teaching."
His dedication to teaching has only deepened over time, despite the fact that he has to juggle his teaching commitments with an ambitious research program and heavy administrative duties.
"But even if my day has been tough and I'm feeling exhausted, once I'm in the classroom and see the excitement in students' eyes, my tiredness disappears," he says.
A Role Model for Aspiring Engineers
Dr. Salem holds patents in Canada and the United States for a fire-resistant beam-end connecting mechanism designed for mass-timber buildings. Above, he checks the gap between a beam and a column in a mass-timber assembly before it undergoes a fire-exposure test.
Thousands of people will live in apartment buildings, wander through shopping malls, and drive over bridges designed by civil engineers, so these structures have to be built to the highest standards.
"I continually remind students that as professional engineers, they will be responsible for other people's lives, and that they must act ethically and with the utmost integrity," Dr. Salem says.
"It could be your mother, your son, or your friend who uses a structure you designed."
Fortunately, his students have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning at the Structural Fire Testing & Research Laboratory. Through Dr. Salem's guidance and mentorship, they learn how to meet building code requirements and design standards for resilient, fire-safe structures.
Straight from the Heart
"Even though it's wonderful when my students get good grades, what makes me most proud of them is when they try hard and ask questions," Dr. Salem says. "It shows me that they want to learn."
He often gets messages from former students, including many who graduated years ago, saying: "This issue you discussed in your course just came up at work, and I was able to apply what you taught us."
"For me, teaching is a work of the heart," he adds. "You have to love what you teach in order to inspire students."
Congratulations, Dr. Salem, on being named Lakehead's 2025 Distinguished Instructor!
Almost $3 million in research funding from provincial and national funding agencies has been awarded to Dr. Salem. He has also has authored/co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed, refereed publications in highly-ranked international journals and top-tier conference proceedings.
Every year, Lakehead honours outstanding professors, instructors, and education staff whose commitment to teaching and innovation ensures that our students excel.
Here are the 2025 Teaching Award Winners
Distinguished Instructor Award:
Dr. Sam Salem, Civil Engineering
Contribution to Teaching Awards:
Dr. Kathryn Walton, English
Mr. Brian Weishar, Education
Dr. Davut Akca, Interdisciplinary
Prof. Tenille Brown, Law
Ms. Kaitlin Adduono, Nursing
Dr. Ahmed Elshaer, Civil Engineering
Teaching Innovation Awards:
Prof. Larissa Speak, Law
Dr. Taryn Klarner, Kinesiology and Mrs. Kristen McConnell, Nursing
Mr. Mohit Dudeja, Education
Teaching Support Award:
Mr. Adam Humeniuk, Teaching Commons